#the thénardiers were also excellent

[javertsponytail]

got the wonderful opportunity to see the les mis north america tour last week & last night in dallas! some thoughts:

- nick cartell’s falsetto was absolutely angelic. maybe the best rendition of “bring him home” i’ve ever heard

- haley dortch (fantine) was beyond amazing. she genuinely took my breath away both nights. her stage presence was understated but deeply powerful

- kyle adams (grantaire) had a wonderful connection with gavroche. they were all but inseparable and it made both of their deaths absolutely heart rending

all in all, the show was amazing. crossing my fingers than this means it will be coming back to broadway in the next few years.

a final note: stewart clarke’s javert, the inimitable elf cop, is still hands down the best i have ever seen. i would sell my soul to the great old ones in a heartbeat to see him perform even just one more time.

[cliozaur]

- We are back to parallels between theatre and crime. This chapter is an excellent illustration of why Thénardier’s dealings are so unsuccessful. He is a very bad actor and director of the play he acts out in front of his visitors: he forgets the name of his character, he addresses “other actors” as if visitors do not hear him, etc. And his lies are over the top; for instance, he claims to know famous actresses (including Mademoiselle Mars, whom we have already met in gamin digression), but for some reason, he doesn’t ask any of them for help; and he also lies about the price of his rent, etc.

- The way he continues to treat his family is just horrible. They are like living props for him, especially little Azelma. When the girl forgets to cry, he pinches her sore hand, and to arouse compassion, he makes up this story: “her bleeding wrist! It came through an accident while working at a machine to earn six sous a day. It may be necessary to cut off her arm,” scaring the child to death! Of course, stories of this kind, about exploited children, were not rare, but it’s just not the Thénardiers’ story. Although Azlema has her share of child trauma, this sounds more like Cosette’s trauma.

- Speaking of Cosette: I refuse to believe that she did not recognize her tormentor, a monster from her childhood nightmares, Mme Thénardier. I do not think that the woman changed that much. And I don’t think Cosette supressed this traumatic memory. It seems like Hugo is just not very good at children’s psychology.

- We can suspect that “M. Leblanc,” Jean Valjean already guessed what was going on, and that is why he decided to take his daughter home. But I don’t really understand why he would return himself.

[dolphin1812]

I love how we just casually learn that Fauchelevent became famous in the Vatican for this burial.

Starting with Cosette was so devastating, though. She may be a bit better because she’s spent time with Valjean rather than the Thénardiers, but how rapidly she reverts to “crisis” mode- where she shuts down and doesn’t speak - is horrifying. Her abuse is still recent, and with a stressful night (they’d just escaped Javert) and the threat of the Thénardiers, it’s no wonder she returns to the “lark” who doesn’t sing as a way of maintaining her safety. I wonder if these events are linked to why the prioress says she’ll grow up “ugly.” It could be a literal statement; the convent doesn’t prize beauty, so its pupils aren’t going to be made to look beautiful. It’s also praise in that she thinks that’ll push her to be a nun (”girls who are conscious of their beauty do not easily become nuns”). But it could also be a reminder that while Cosette was beautiful as a toddler (because Fantine gave her everything), years of deprivation and fear have taken away that beauty. Jean Valjean has helped her heal a bit, but it’s likely that she still doesn’t look well, especially after 24 tear-filled hours without food or sleep. And this was heartbreaking:

“ But when, at the expiration of these lugubrious twenty-four hours, she beheld Jean Valjean again, she gave vent to such a cry of joy, that any thoughtful person who had chanced to hear that cry, would have guessed that it issued from an abyss.”

I’m glad she’s with him again and that she felt so glad in that moment, but I wish that she hadn’t been deprived of that security for so long.

I was also interested in this ending passage:

“Nothing of this triumph reached Fauchelevent in his hut; he went on grafting, weeding, and covering up his melon beds, without in the least suspecting his excellences and his sanctity. Neither did he suspect his glory, any more than a Durham or Surrey bull whose portrait is published in the London Illustrated News, with this inscription: “Bull which carried off the prize at the Cattle Show.”“

It’s telling that even though Fauchelevent’s fame reaches the Pope, it doesn’t actually affect him. What does impact him is the reputation he gains with people closer to him: the convent trusts him more, Valjean appreciates his help and works with him, and Gribier is grateful as well. The Pope may be important, but Fauchelevent’s local impact is felt more by these people and by him. His ties with his community, then, take precedence over his fame, despite his community being nuns and the working class and his fame extending to the highest rank in Catholicism (of course, part of this is that no one in the convent is going to tell him this - he’s very isolated from outside information - but it also demonstrates how these local bonds can be more important than fame and status). 

The comparison between Fauchelevent and a prize bull brings us back to the nuns’ image of him as a faithful laborer, as if he were a “farm animal” who simply obeyed their commands well rather than a person with his own schemes. Ironically, we know that he did what the nuns wanted in what would be, to them, the worst way possible: he did bury the coffin outside like they wished, but he also sheltered a man in the convent and used that coffin meant for a nun to help him legitimize his place there. Seeing him as a “prize bull” does recognize his value as a worker, but they’re able to imagine him like that because they underestimate his cleverness.

[psalm22-6]

Review of the second (?) Paris production Les Misérables, drame which included all the scenes (unlike the previous production in 1878)

La Lantern, 29 December 1899

Porte-Saint-Martin - Les Misérables, drama in two parts with a prologue and an epilogue in three acts and 17 tableaus, by messieurs Charles Hugo and Paul Meurice, based on the novel by Victor Hugo 

On the stage it is impossible to render completely the characters of the epic Les Misérables, a novel which has already impassioned multiple generations. And yet, great actors have tried, not without success. We can still picture Dumaine as the powerful Jean Valjean, Taillade with his hawk’s eye as Javert, and Lacressonnière as the evangelical Myriel. 

Coquelin, in his turn, wanted to play one of the heroes of Les Misérables, Jean Valjean. The Porte-Saint-Martin has imbued the production of Les Misérables, which messieurs Charles Hugo and Paul Meurice adapted from Victor Hugo’s novel, with all the brilliance that must accompany a sensational show.

We don’t need to speak about the script itself: the authors, so close to the great poet, in adapting the amazing novel, treated it with filial care. They picked its most iconic characteristics. But last night the audience saw, for the first time, multiple scenes that had never been seen before: some are being returned, others are reworked and remade by M. Paul Meurice. The adaptation is therefore more complete now. 

Coquelin, as Jean Valjean, could still prove himself in various aspects and develop the variety of his talent. Up until now he has never played a character as complex as the hero of Les Misérables. He was met with much applause, especially for his big monologue in the 6th act (A storm beneath a skull) and the last scene, where he acted out the death of Jean Valjean, with Marius and Cosette by his sides, in a very touching way. 

M. Desjardin is as brutal a Javert as you could wish for, though perhaps not nuanced enough. M. Péricaud plays a cunning and colorful Thénardier. Volny as Marius and Bouyer as the bishop are excellent. Among the women, Mlle Reyé, always the alert child, marvelously rendered Gavroche’s gestures and Berthe Bady, as Fantine, knew how to die with striking realism. 

There’s lots of dying in Les Misérables. There is no less than five deaths, all of them dramatic: that of Fantine, of Eponine (the Thénardier girl, a delicate part that Mlle Eugenie Nau played expressively), of Gavroche (at the summit of the barricade), of Javert (who kills himself on the Seine), and that of Jean Valjean, which closes out the play. 

As compensation there are two Cosette’s to compliment graciously: the Cosette of marrying age, Mlle Chapelas who carries out the idyll of the rue Plumet and also the child Cosette, the little Angele Henry, quite cute in the part which she plays with natural talent. We must also credit the saint of the play, Mlle Bouchetal, under the wimple of Sister Simplice. 

Les Misérables is well fitted with ingenious and refreshing sets and well studied staging. The tableau of the barricade, notably, with the groups of combatants, their heroic actions and the final explotion, was very successful.

The “key” however seems to be the 11th and 12th tableaus with show the man chase: Jean Valjean pursed by Javert. That is when Jean Valjean scales the wall of the Picpus convent and, by a change of view, we find him on the other side, descending into the Sisters’ garden. The little Cosette is with him, which augments the anxiety of the spectators. But have no fear, M. Coquelin performs feats of gymnastics with as much ease as he fences under the mask of Cyrano. 

Les Misérables is accompanied by incidental music, or maybe it is better to say a musical score because it is a true score with preludes, interludes, and themes that were especially and deeply appreciated. The music is by M. Andre Wormser. 

[pureanonofficial]

Les Miserables Stream: Friday, June 4th, 2021, 10 p.m. EST

Barricade day is coming up fast, and what better way to celebrate than by watching an excellent bootleg of the musical? The 2006 Broadway revival is well-loved in the Les Mis fandom for good reasons. It benefited from being the first Broadway revival after the original production closed, therefore receiving Trevor Nunn and John Caird’s full attention once it came to be revived, certain cuts that had been made over the show’s run were reversed, and it had uniformly great casting. Although it was originally supposed to only run six months, it was so well-received that it ended up running until 2008. This particular bootleg features Drew Sarich (Jean Valjean), Robert Hunt (Javert), Nikki Renee Daniels (Fantine), Adam Jacobs (Marius) Ali Ewoldt  (Cosette), Megan McGinnis (Éponine), Max von Essen ( Enjolras), Chip Zien (M. Thénardier) and Becca Ayers (Mme. Thénardier.) 

This is a very strong cast, and I cannot pick out a weak link. I will, however, mention some actors who I thought did especially well. Drew Sarich has become one of my new favorite Valjeans. He is perhaps an unconventional choice for a Valjean, being very young with a very rocker voice, but he brings the character to life in fascinating unique ways. From his animalistic stance at the beginning of the show, to his “customer service smile,” later in life, his Valjean is enjoyable all the way through. Robert Hunt is an equally compelling choice to play opposite to him, with a rather brick accurate Javert (his continual terrible grins are especially striking) and an absolutely devastating Suicide. Ali Ewoldt is one of the most charming Cosettes I have ever seen; it was impossible not to smile watching her. She also brought a lot of nuance sometimes lost in Cosette’s character on stage.

Overall, this is a wonderful, well-cast production, and I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Link and password will be posted at 9:45 p.m.

[mysticalhearth]

Les Misérables

Les Misérables - 10th Anniversary: The Dream Cast In Concert - October, 1995 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Colm Wilkinson (Jean Valjean), Philip Quast (Javert), Ruthie Henshall (Fantine), Judy Kuhn (Cosette), Michael Ball (Marius), Lea Salonga (Éponine), Michael Maguire (Enjolras), Alun Armstrong (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Adam Searles (Gavroche), Hannah Chick (Little Cosette), Paul F Monaghan (The Bishop), Anthony Crivello (Grantaire), David Bardsley (Combeferre), Matt Cammelle (Feuilly), Jérôme Pradon (Courfeyrac), Peter Polycarpou (Jean Prouvaire), Darryl Knock (Joly), Mike Sterling (Lesgles), Nick Holder (Brujon), Tony Timberlake (Babet), Stephen Matthews (Claquesous), Keith Burns (Montparnasse), Michael McCarthy (Factory Foreman), Jackie Marks (Factory Girl), Gareth Snook (Bamatabois), Andy Reiss (Pimp), Peter Polycarpou (Labourer), Glyn Kerslake (Constables), Beverly Klein (Old Woman), Christopher Howard (Loud Hailer), Halcro Johnston (Farmer), Adrian Beaumont, Alasdair Harvey, Alistair Robins, Allan Hardman, Annette Yeo, Cameron Stewart, Charles Shirvell, Christopher Coleman, Claire Machin, Claudia Bradley, Cliff Brayshaw, Craig Schulman, Danny Coll, David Alder, David Arneil, David Delve, David Malek, David Shannon, Egill Olaffson, Ellen Jackson, Fenton Gray, Gerard Leighton-Duffy, Glenn Carter, Grania Renihan, Gyula Vikidál, Hadrian Delacey, Helen Hobson, Henk Poort, Irene Warren, James Barron, James Head, Jan Ježek, Jeff Leyton, Jerzy Jeszke, Joanne Redman, Jody Crosier, John Barr, John Owen-Jones, Julia Howson, Julia Worsley, Krzysztof Stasierowicz, Kurt Ravn, Linda-Mae Brewer, Lynden Edwards, Mario Frangoulis, Mark Turnbull, Mark White, Martin George, Martin Scott Warden, Matthew Gould, Matthew White, Michael Burgess, Michael Cantwell, Myra Sands, Neil Couperthwaite, Nicholas Pound, Nicola Sloane, Norma Atallah, Paul Baker, Paula Simpson, Peter Ledbury, Phil Cavill, Philip Cox, Rebecca Storm, Rebecca Thornhill, Reinhard Brussmann, Richard Burman, Rob Guest, Robert Marien, Sara West, Sarah Hay, Steve Balsamo, Susie Fenwick, Takeshi Kaga, Tommy Körberg, Tricia Deighton, Øystein Wiik NOTES: Features key performers from the original Broadway and London casts like Colm Wilkinson, Phillip Quast and Lea Salonga. Includes the encore performance featuring 17 Valjeans from various productions. Les Misérables - 25th Anniversary Concert Live At The O2 - October 3, 2010 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alfie Boe (Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Katie Hall (Cosette), Nick Jonas (Marius), Samantha Barks (Éponine), Ramin Karimloo (Enjolras), Matt Lucas (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Robert Madge (Gavroche), Mia Jenkins (Little Cosette), Earl Carpenter (The Bishop), Hadley Fraser (Grantaire), Jonathan Williams (Combeferre), Owain Williams (Feuilly), Killian Donnelly (Courfeyrac), Alistair Brammer (Jean Prouvaire), Jamie Muscato (Joly), Edward Baruwa (Lesgles), Phil Snowden (Brujon), Stephen Tate (Babet), Tony Timberlake (Claquesous), Keith Burns (Montparnasse), Jeff Nicholson (Factory Foreman), Grainne Renihan (Factory Girl), Valda Aviks (Crone), Cameron Blakely (Bamatabois), Peter Polycarpou (Pimp) Les Misérables - Asia Tour - June 2, 2016 (Highlights) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Simon Gleeson (Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Patrice Tipoki (Fantine), Emily Langridge (Cosette), Paul Wilkins (Marius), Kerrie Anne Greenland (Éponine), Chris Durling (Enjolras), David McDonald (Thénardier), Jennifer Butt (Madame Thénardier), Austyn Myers (Gavroche), Rachel Schier (Little Cosette) NOTES: On My Own, Upon These Stones, Bring Him Home and two angles of the same One Day More Les Misérables - Dallas - August 2, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Nehal Joshi (Jean Valjean), Edward Watts (Javert), Allison Blackwell (Fantine), Dorcas Leung (Cosette), Justin Keyes (Marius), Elizabeth Judd (Éponine), John Campione (Enjolras), Steven Michael Walters (Thénardier), Christia Mantzke (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: A great capture of Dallas Theatre Center’s inventively staged production of Les Miserables. The much-talked about production did not disappoint; the modernized visuals create many new layers to the show, and make you think about events and characters in a whole new way. Nehal, Allison, Justin, and Christia were probably my favorites, but the entire cast is so talented, it’s difficult to choose any as standouts. A very nice capture overall. There are a couple quick dropouts in act one, but no major blackouts. There is one head that can be seen occasionally, but it only blocks a small portion of the stage and only affects the action for about 20-30 seconds of the entire show. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent as usual. Includes curtain call and playbill scans. Les Misérables - Duisburg - 1996 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Jerzy Jeszke (Jean Valjean), Hardy Rudolz (Javert), Cornelia Drese (Fantine), Deborah Dutcher (Cosette), Felix Martin (Marius), Sanni Luis (Éponine), Martin Berger (Enjolras), Tom Zahner (Thénardier), Anne Welte (Madame Thénardier), Willi Welp (The Bishop) Les Misérables - Dutch Revival - Spring, 2008 FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: René van Kooten (Jean Valjean), Wim van den Driessche (Javert), Nurlaila Karim (Fantine), Suzan Seegers (Cosette), Jamai Loman (Marius), Céline Purcell (Éponine), Freek Bartels (Enjolras), Gerben Grimmius (u/s Thénardier), Marjolein Algera (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: Complete show, Amateur capture A, Double dvd Les Misérables - Fifth National Tour - October 5, 2018 (hitmewithyourbethshot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Nick Cartell (Jean Valjean), Josh Davis (Javert), Mary Kate Moore (Fantine), Jillian Butler (Cosette), Joshua Grosso (Marius), Paige Smallwood (Éponine), Matt Shingledecker (Enjolras), J Anthony Crane (Thénardier), Allison Guinn (Madame Thénardier), Sam Middleton (Gavroche), Cate Elefante (u/s Little Cosette), Matt Moisey (Grantaire), Monte J Howell (Combeferre), Tim Quartier (s/w Feuilly), Christopher Viljoen (Courfeyrac), Patrick Rooney (Jean Prouvaire), Gabriel Sidney Brown (Joly), Andrew Maughan (Lesgles), Felipe Barbosa Bombonato (Babet), John Ambrosino (Claquesous), Steve Czarnecki (Factory Foreman), Ashley Dawn Mortensen (Factory Girl), John Ambrosino (Bamatabois) Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - November 11, 2006 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Victor Hawks (u/s Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Éponine), Aaron Lazar (Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Jacob Levine (Gavroche), Drew Sarich (Grantaire) NOTES: A nice capture here of Victor as Valjean. The capture is a little on the dark side, but still enjoyable. Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - February 17, 2007 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Alexander Gemignani (Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Daphne Rubin-Vega (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Celia Keenan-Bolger (Éponine), Drew Sarich (u/s Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Jenny Galloway (Madame Thénardier), Jacob Levine (Gavroche) NOTES: A really nice video of the first broadway revival. Widescreen. Cleaned up nicely in remastering. And it has Sarich. Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - May 12, 2007 (Matinee) (jstarz's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alexander Gemignani (Jean Valjean), Drew Sarich (u/s Javert), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Mandy Bruno (Éponine), Max von Essen (Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Ann Harada (Madame Thénardier), Stephen Trafton (u/s Grantaire) NOTES: Filmed in widescreen (though encoded in 4:3, so there are bars at the top and bottom of the screen), this is a nice capture of some of the new cast members. Drew and Ann give great performances in their roles. The second disc also includes the first 15 minutes of the February 24, 2007 Evening show, filmed from the rear right orchestra. Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - June 1, 2007 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Alexander Gemignani (Jean Valjean), Ben Davis (Javert), Lea Salonga (Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Marissa McGowan (Éponine), Max von Essen (Enjolras), Gary Beach (Thénardier), Ann Harada (Madame Thénardier) Les Misérables - First Broadway Revival - August 24, 2007 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Drew Sarich (Jean Valjean), Robert Hunt (Javert), Nikki Renée Daniels (u/s Fantine), Ali Ewoldt (Cosette), Adam Jacobs (Marius), Megan McGinnis (Éponine), Max von Essen (Enjolras), Chip Zien (Thénardier), Becca Ayers (u/s Madame Thénardier), Brian D'Addario (Gavroche) NOTES: Some nice closeups/mediums. A nice capture of the new cast. Capture can be dark at times, but mostly in the darker scenes. Includes a technical difficulty when the Barricades first come out, the show is stopped and includes the announcement.. A- Les Misérables - Fourth UK & Ireland Tour - January, 2019 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Killian Donnelly (Jean Valjean), Nic Greenshields (Javert), Katie Hall (Fantine), Bronwen Hanson (Cosette), Harry Apps (Marius), Tegan Bannister (Éponine), Will Richardson (Enjolras), Martin Ball (Thénardier), Sophie-Louise Dann (Madame Thénardier) Les Misérables - Hollywood Bowl - August 9, 2008 FORMAT:  WMV (HD) CAST: J Mark McVey (Jean Valjean), Brian Stokes Mitchell (Javert), Melora Hardin (Fantine), Michele Maika (Cosette), John Lloyd Young (Marius), Lea Michele (Éponine), Tom Lowe (Enjolras), Sage Ryan (Gavroche) NOTES: J. Mark McVey, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Lea Michele, Melora Hardin, John Lloyd Young, Michele Maika, Michael McCormick, Tom Lowe, Ruth Williamson. Juni's master filmed in widescreen and can be a little shakey at times in tight zooms. Nice to see the audience version compared to the Proshot one. A- Les Misérables - Japan - 1997

FORMAT: video |  TRADER'S NOTES: Looking for a replacement link CAST: Yuichiro Yamaguchi (Jean Valjean), Mayo Kawasaki (Javert), Hiromi Iwasaki (Fantine), Yu Hayami (Cosette), Kazukata Ishii (Marius), Minako Honda (Éponine), Kojiro Oka (Enjolras), Yukio Yamagata (Thénardier), Bibari Maeda (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: Yamaguchi’s first of fourteen year as Valjean. Les Misérables - Madrid - 1993 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Pedro Ruy Blas (Jean Valjean), Miguel del Arco (Javert), Gema Castaño (Fantine), Luisa Torres (Cosette), Carlos Marín (Marius), Margarita Marbán (Éponine), Enrique R del Portal (Enjolras), Francisco La Hoz (Thénardier), Connie Philip (Madame Thénardier) Les Misérables - Madrid Revival - July 14, 2011 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Gerónimo Rauch (Jean Valjean), David Ordinas (Javert), Virginia Carmona (Fantine), Talía del Val (Cosette), Guido Balzaretti (Marius), Lydia Fairén (Éponine), Daniel Diges (Enjolras), Enrique R del Portal (Thénardier) NOTES: Multi-Camera proshot Les Misérables - Netherlands - 1991/1992 (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  VOB (no smalls) (SD) CAST: Henk Poort (Jean Valjean), Ernst Daniël Smid (Javert), Pia Douwes (Fantine), Marika Lansen (u/s Cosette), Danny de Munk (Marius), Vera Mann (Éponine), Uwe Kröger (u/s Enjolras), Filip Bolluyt (u/s Thénardier), Simone Kleinsma (Madame Thénardier), Maya Hakvoort, Peter de Smet NOTES: This video starts with the Les Mis flag and the last scene is a close-up. Les Misérables - Paris - 1991 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Robert Marien (Jean Valjean), Patrick Rocca (Javert), Marie Zamora (Cosette), Jérôme Pradon (Marius), Stéphanie Martin (Éponine), Julien Combey (Enjolras), Laurent Gendron (Thénardier), Marie-France Roussel (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: Act 1 + finale of act 2. This is 100% NOT Louise Pitre playing Fantine Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - March 1, 2014 (Preview) (Highlights) (where is your red schaaaf's master) FORMAT:  MOV (HD) CAST: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), Will Swenson (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Nikki M James (Éponine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras), Cliff Saunders (Thénardier), Keala Settle (Madame Thénardier), Gaten Matarazzo (Gavroche) NOTES: First preview. It includes most of the show. Loud excited audience. Blind shot from stage right third row, with no zooms. Keala Settle sprained her ankle at some point between The Robbery and One Day More, resulting in her not being in One Day More and using a cane during Wedding Chorale/Beggars at the Feast. Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - March 8, 2014 (Preview) (SunsetBlvd79's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), Will Swenson (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Nikki M James (Éponine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras), Cliff Saunders (Thénardier), Keala Settle (Madame Thénardier), Joshua Colley (Gavroche) NOTES: Audience was full of excitement! The last 20 seconds are missing from the very end due to battery issues Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - August 21, 2014 (SJ Bernly's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Nathaniel Hackmann (u/s Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Caissie Levy (Fantine), Samantha Hill (Cosette), Andy Mientus (Marius), Nikki M James (Éponine), Kyle Scatliffe (Enjolras), Cliff Saunders (Thénardier), Keala Settle (Madame Thénardier), Joshua Colley (Gavroche), Mia Sinclair Jenness (Little Cosette), Angeli Negron (Young Éponine), Adam Monley (The Bishop) NOTES: A fantastic capture of this lavish production. It’s refreshing to see different faces in the lead roles, and both Nathaniel and Earl carry the show well. Nathaniel’s vocals are powerful and he has a great rapport with Caissie and Samantha. A lovely capture overall with no obstruction. Look Down is mostly blacked out and there are a couple quick dropouts during The Bishop scene and Lovely Ladies, but the show is otherwise fully intact. There is also some washout in high contrast wide shots. It’s filmed in 16:9, with a mix of wides, mediums, and close-ups. The sound is excellent. Includes curtain call and playbill scans. Les Misérables - Second Broadway Revival - July 1, 2015 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Ramin Karimloo (Jean Valjean), John Rapson (u/s Javert), Erika Henningsen (Fantine), Melissa Mitchell (u/s Cosette), Chris McCarrell (Marius), Brennyn Lark (Éponine), Wallace Smith (Enjolras), Gavin Lee (Thénardier), Rachel Izen (Madame Thénardier), Sam Chuck (Gavroche), Joe Spieldenner (Grantaire), Weston Wells Olson (s/w Combeferre) NOTES: Act I begins at "The Runaway Cart" and nearly complete Act II. Some obstructions, but audio is quite good. Rapson's last Javert. Les Misérables - Spanish Tour - December 21, 2013 (House-Cam's master)

FORMAT: video CAST: Nicholas Martinelli (Jean Valjean), Ignasi Vidal (Javert), Elena Medina (Fantine), Talía del Val (Cosette), Guido Balzeratti (Marius), Lydia Fairén (Éponine), Manu Pilas (u/s Enjolras), Armando Pita (Thénardier), Eva Digo (Madame Thénardier), Samuel Gomez (Grantaire) Les Misérables - Tecklenburg - 2006 (1) (Pro-Shot's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Chris Murray (Jean Valjean), Marc Clear (Javert), Jana Werner (Fantine), Barbara Köhler (Éponine) NOTES: Different from the other video of this production; multicam proshot. Definitely a different performance too.  

Les Misérables - Third UK (25th Anniversary) Tour - June 20, 2010 (thewho's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: John Owen-Jones (Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Madalena Alberto (Fantine), Katie Hall (Cosette), Luke Kempner (u/s Marius), Rosalind James (Éponine), Jon Robyns (Enjolras), Ashley Artus (Thénardier), Lynne Wilmott (Madame Thénardier), Jordi Clark (Gavroche), David Lawrence (The Bishop), Adam Linstead (Grantaire), David Covey (Combeferre), Owain Williams (Feuilly), Christopher Jacobsen (Courfeyrac), Rhidian Marc (Joly), David Lawrence (Lesgles), Carl Mullaney (Claquesous), Carl Mullaney (Bamatabois) NOTES: Act 1 starts at At The End of the Day, Act 2 starts at Drink with me. okay quality though blurry and shaky throughout. Les Misérables - Third UK (25th Anniversary) Tour - September 17, 2010 (thewho's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Christopher Jacobsen (u/s Jean Valjean), Earl Carpenter (Javert), Madalena Alberto (Fantine), Katie Hall (Cosette), Gareth Gates (Marius), Rosalind James (Éponine), Jon Robyns (Enjolras), Ashley Artus (Thénardier), Lynne Wilmott (Madame Thénardier), David Lawrence (The Bishop), Adam Linstead (Grantaire), David Covey (Combeferre), Owain Williams (Feuilly), Peter Manchester (u/s Courfeyrac), Jamie Muscato (Jean Prouvaire), Rhidian Marc (Joly), David Lawrence (Lesgles), Luke Kempner (Montparnasse) NOTES: Barbican Center Theatre, London. First time in history two same productions of a major musical played in the same city. Les Misérables - West End - May 9, 1987 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (SD) CAST: Martin Smith (u/s Jean Valjean), Clive Carter (Javert), Kathleen Rowe McAllen (Fantine), Jacinta Mulcahy (Cosette), Maurice Clarke (u/s Marius), Jayne Draper (Éponine), Martin George (Enjolras), David Delve (Thénardier), Myra Sand (Madame Thénardier), Cameron Stewart (u/s Grantaire) NOTES: Commonly mistaken as December 28, 1988! Martin Smith was part of the West End cast for 6 months starting December 1986, and the non-circulated first-generation DVD labels the date as 1987/05/09. Les Misérables - West End - December 28, 1991 (House-Cam's master) FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Stig Rossen (Jean Valjean), Paul Leonard (Javert), Jenna Russell (Fantine), Sarah Jane Hassell (Cosette), Daryll Winslow (Marius), Meredith Braun (Éponine), Mike Sterling (u/s Enjolras), David Hampshire (u/s The Bishop), Amanda Dainty (u/s Factory Girl) NOTES: Black and white. Audio is nice and clear. A more rare color version does exist. (Proof: https://youtu.be/KI_KHnLwk_k) Les Misérables - West End - May 6, 2006 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Tim Godwin (u/s Jean Valjean), Cornell John (Javert), Kerry Ellis (Fantine), Julia Möller (Cosette), Hayden Tee (Marius), AJ Callaghan (u/s Éponine), Nolan Dark (u/s Enjolras), Barry James (Thénardier), Tracie Bennett (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: Taper’s comments: Amanda and Nolan are better than the principles and Tim sounds uncannily like JOJ (Home Counties accent not-withstanding). He first understudied in 1999, when JOJ was the principal, which may explain the similarity. About half of the Chain Gang song missing and filming starts in earnest during Valjean on parole. Other parts missed because of ushers include several random one-second cover-ups, part of the wedding and about half of Finale. Heads in the way sometimes block the action on the lower right of the stage, but they are shot around well. Vantage point provides some interesting views such as of Fantine during Lovely Ladies. Wonderful performances from the entire cast but especially then soon-to-be-Elphaba Kerry Ellis. Les Misérables - West End - September 19, 2013 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Daniel Koek (Jean Valjean), James Gant (u/s Javert), Na-Young Jeon (Fantine), Samantha Dorsey (Cosette), Rob Houchen (Marius), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Éponine), Anton Zetterholm (Enjolras), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Wendy Ferguson (Madame Thénardier), Ilan Galkoff (Gavroche), Caoimhe Judd (Little Cosette) Les Misérables - West End - June 14, 2014 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Daniel Koek (Jean Valjean), Tam Mutu (Javert), Na-Young Jeon (Fantine), Samantha Dorsey (Cosette), Dougie Carter (Marius), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Éponine), Anton Zetterholm (Enjolras), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Wendy Ferguson (Madame Thénardier), Carl Mullaney (Grantaire) NOTES: Final performance of the 2013/14 cast Les Misérables - West End - July 9, 2015 (Highlights) (musicalmania123's master) FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Peter Lockyer (Jean Valjean), Jeremy Secomb (Javert), Rachelle Ann Go (Fantine), Zoe Doano (Cosette), Rob Houchen (Marius), Carrie Hope Fletcher (Éponine), Bradley Jaden (Enjolras), Phil Daniels (Thénardier), Katy Secombe (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: Highlights only. Most of Act 1 and first 20 minutes of Act 2. Les Misérables - West End - May, 2011 FORMAT:  MP4 (HD) CAST: Jonathan Williams (u/s Jean Valjean), Norm Lewis (Javert), Rebecca Seale (Fantine), AJ Callaghan (u/s Cosette), Gareth Gates (Marius), Samantha Barks (Éponine), Killian Donnelly (Enjolras), Martin Ball (Thénardier), Katy Secombe (Madame Thénardier) Les Misérables - West End - Spring, 2013 FORMAT:  VOB (with smalls) (SD) CAST: Chris Holland (u/s Jean Valjean), Tam Mutu (Javert), AJ Callaghan (u/s Fantine), Samantha Dorsey (Cosette), Jamie Ward (Marius), Danielle Hope (Éponine), Christopher Jacobsen (Enjolras), Cameron Blakely (Thénardier), Vicky Entwistle (Madame Thénardier) NOTES: Please make sure your copy isn't September 19, 2013!

[cometomecosette]

“Look Down” and “The Robbery,” London, 2002. Jason McCann as Enjolras, Jody Crosier as Marius, Stephen Tate as Thénardier, Mandy Holliday as Mme. Thénardier, Caroline Sheen as Éponine, Hans-Peter Janssens as Jean Valjean, Sarah Lane as Cosette, Jérôme Pradon as Javert, unknown Gavroche.

This scene has become one of my favorites to review clips of. So much happens in it!

I like this Gavroche. He looks and sounds a bit older than most stage Gavroches, closer to the character’s age in the novel, and he has a good, strong voice and just the right attitude.

Jason’s Enjolras makes an excellent first impression, with his chiseled features, his commanding presence and physical energy as he rallies the beggars in the street, his fiercely determined expression, and his strong, clarion voice. I’ve read complaints about his vibrato in the past, but honestly, it’s not that bad.

I think this was one of the first casts to give “Where are the leaders of the land?...” to Marius and “Only one man and that’s Lamarque...” to Enjolras instead of vice-versa. Almost every replica production since (though not the film, interestingly enough) has made that change. I know plenty of fans prefer it, because it has Marius naïvely asking questions and Enjolras providing the answer. Personally, though, I prefer the original arrangement. I’ve always understood “Where are the leaders...?” as a rhetorical question and having Enjolras sing first establishes him as the leader. It’s not a big deal, though.

Caroline’s Éponine looks more like the novel’s Éponine than many, with her lanky figure, filthy face and long reddish-brown hair, and she’s fully convincing as a brash, cheeky street urchin with hidden depths of feeling. Her voice is brash and edgy to match her character, but not overly so, and her “It’s Javert!” is impressive.

I like Jody’s Marius too (and not just because he’s physically one of the handsomest ever ^_^). I once read a review saying that he was distant and even disdainful toward Éponine at first, but I don’t see that here. He seems very friendly, with his amused smiles and the way he gently bops her nose with his book. Yes, he looks exasperated when she snatches the book, but it seems to me like a fond, brotherly sort of exasperation. Maybe his interactions with Laura Michelle Kelly’s Éponine were different than with Caroline’s. That said, he does get more belligerent than other actors on “Who is this man?... Why is he here?” He might be fond of Éponine, but he clearly knows too well that she’s an accomplice to her criminal parents.

This is the first performance I’ve seen (although I’d read about it being done before) where Éponine seems to read Marius’s book, but then Marius turns it right-side up, revealing that she can’t actually read and was holding it upside-down. I’m not quite sure how I feel about that choice. On the one hand, it is both funny and poignant, but on the other hand, Éponine was old enough to be literate before she became poor and in the novel she takes pride in her ability to read and write.

I like the possessive way Hans-Peter’s Valjean bustles Cosette away from Marius. Without a word it establishes his extreme protectiveness of his daughter. I also notice another unusual detail: instead of joining Valjean in approaching the Thénardiers, Cosette only follows him part way but then wanders off while he’s distracted, presumably to exchange more glances with Marius. I miss seeing her interact with the Thénardiers, but this alternative does emphasize that love at first sight has occurred and that Valjean won’t be able to keep Cosette under his wing much longer.

Stephen’s Thénardier strikes just the right balance between funny and ruthless and Mandy’s Mme. T. compliments him well. I like that Mme. T.’s fake baby is actually her own arm wrapped in swaddling, and that she forgets to hold it in the right way at first and her husband needs to remind her.

Jérôme’s Javert might have a lighter voice than most, but he fully compensates with his blend of dignity, fierceness and subtle obsession. Kudos to the camera-person for the close-up that reveals his excellent acting during “Could it be he’s some old jailbird...” We can see the wheels turning in his head as he puts together all the clues to “the gentleman’s” identity, the dawning realization on “Could he be the man I’ve hunted?” and his quietly wild-eyed excitement that after nine long years Valjean is finally within his reach again. He also has a subtle, dry humor that few musical Javerts have, but which feels fully in character, with his pursed-lipped annoyance when Thénardier starts fishing for favors and the way he slowly turns Thénardier’s face away from his with the end of his nightstick.

The ensemble is excellent all around, with particular standouts including the handsome, sensual Montparnasse, who turns to the young prostitute for “comfort” after Éponine rebuffs him twice, and the dandyish Babet with his giant handkerchief.

A great performance by all.

[jupitersflytrap]

SUMMARY OF NEW WEST END LES MIS BECAUSE I JUST SAW IT ( hella long post)

ACT I

look down was just a brillant start to a brilliant show

THEY ADDED PETIT GERVAIS OH MY GOD

amazing, amazing valjean. 24601/10

valjean got absolutely battered by mr “feel the weight of my rod”

also there were flaming torches now and throughout which was pretty sick

valjean crying when the bishop redeems him

the hordes in at the end of the day had their shawls taken off to become the factory girls which was cool

there was a PROPER SCRAP between fantine and the factory girl

there was a lot of fighting in this actually

it was good tho

carrie hope fletcher just... *chefs kiss*

no teeth pulling for fantine in lovely ladies

and all the ladies were really good too

when fantine told valjean her story she was clinging onto him and crying it was… very emotional

have i mentioned javert yet? because he was really really good, bradley jaden really came through

fantine dying was extremely sad. as usual.

THE CONFRONTATION WAS THE BEST EVER IT WAS A PROPER FIGHT AND OOOH IT WAS JUST GREAT

THE UNIFIED “JAVERT!” GAVE ME CHILLS I SWEAR

anyways

madame. frickin. thénardier. was excellent. she was a really nice change from the normal pantomime vibes, like a cross between that and helena bonham carter in the film

the actor playing thénardier had some problem with his vocal chords so he wasn’t on, but the cover was acting his heart out and trying his best to sing but i think he’d lost his voice too which was a huge shame. he was still really good and funny though.

that master of the house… my god. hilarious.

there was a new bit at the start of it??? very exciting. it was like,,, people ordering drinks i think

valjean and little cosette was… so cute i literally can’t

the bargain was brilliant as per

GAVROCHE WAS AMAZING

look down featured enj and marius getting told off by the police and getting their banner taken down

also enjolras??? hello?????? he was amazing and pretty much exactly how i picture him. stellar work ashley gilmour.

and harry apps was a brilliant marius, big brick!marius energy

and!!! eponine was so cheeky with marius it was adorable

stars?????? amazing. emotional. the street-lamps were on wires which was nice.

red and black!!!!! new!!!!! harmonies!!!!!!! yes!!!!! also it was perfect in general marius was so melodramatic and grantaire was so… sexual with the bottle

do you hear the people sing!!!! oh lord i heard them!!

also all of les amis were just great

in my life!!!!! oh cosette!!! marius!!!! eponine!!!!!! oh god they were all so well cast and their voices were all unique and beautiful

a heart full of love!! my heart is full of love for this cast!!

oh side note montparnasse was very handsome and had a knife

ONE DAY MOOOOOOORE was as rousing as ever

ACT II

on my own,,,,, oh god my tears, shan ako’s voice is just gorgeous and i love what she did with the song

monsieur warnings was great

and the spy javert?? excellent scene. “SHOOT THE BASTARD” great work gav

they said “incoming!” instead of “there’s a boy climbing the barricade!” which i think was more fitting tbh

yeah so eponine got shot and little fall of rain nearly broke me

grantaire was holding gavroche back :(( my heart

AND WHEN SHE DIED HER HAT CAME OFF AND GAVROCHE HANDED IT BACK TO MARIUS OH MY GOD

drink with me had no right to be that emotionally devastating

grantaire was angry and enjolras tried to comfort him but he pushed him away :((((

on the upside tho whoever it was that sang the line about witty girls who went to their beds then got slapped by the witty girl it was directed towards lmao

OKAY SO bring him home!!!!!!!!! NORMALLY i really don’t like this song it feels a bit like torture to me BUT!! MR JON ROBYNS MADE IT SO GOOD, I WAS HANGING ONTO HIS EVERY WORD AND IT WAS JUST BEAUTIFUL

also the staging was great he was sitting on the barricade above sleepy marius

it was just generally great and the old man sitting near me audibly said WOW when he started singing

okay now it’s time for the deaths

FIRST OFF gavroches death was...... harrowing. he made it back to the top of the barricade before he died. when he got shot there was like a blood effect and i was just,,, shook tbh

now the other deaths

hoooooly shit

enjolras died first and i was not prepared AT ALL so i just started sobbing

everyone else died and grantaire was last f

it was super sad and i was crying basically the whole way through this bit lmao

jvj + marius -> sewers

BUT FIRST the bit with enjolras dead hanging off the cart!!! oh no!!!!!! the tears!!!! and when they picked up gavroche and put them together i just,,

yep

okay now dog eat dog

don’t like this song much but it served its purpose in distracting me from my tears by suddenly pulling teeth out before my very eyes

thanks thénardier

back to the surface! it’s javert! speaking in third person again! he’s very unhinged now which i like, hair all loose and everything

oh god the soliloquy i just,,,,, oh god, the staging of this was amazing but i won’t spoil it :))

TURNING YES IT WAS ALL I COULD HAVE HOPED FOR

empty chairs… oh marius baby he looked so broken, and all the candles were great as ever

oh marius whatever will we do with you

not to worry cosette is here to make it all better with her amazing voice, and her weird dad to make it all worse again with a criminal record

huge brick!marius energy here, very much passive until valjean told him to be angry lmao

THE WEDDING!! IT WAS SO SWEET! cosette’s dress was gorgeous

the thénardiers were great here as well, mrs thénardier was eating snacks the whole way through the bargain with marius

and marius punched thénardier in the stomach

i also cackled very loudly when mrs t tried to pass off stealing the silver as a magic trick

valjean kicked the bucket in the most stunning way he could have tbh

and of course the reprise of dyhtps had me in tears as always

amazing

just amazing

STAGE DOOR

added bonus: i got to chat to and get autographs of a few of the cast at stage door

they were all lovely!! carrie, shan, ciaran, harry, lily, jon, loved ya

also harry had a cut on his hand and someone asked how he’d got it and he said “i wish i could say it was on the barricade, but i cut it on a can of baked beans” and if that’s not the most in character thing ever i don’t know what is.

okay intense summary over hope u enjoyed

[kainosite]

Les Misérables 2018, Episode 4

If I post the review before the next episode airs in the US that counts as “timely”, right?

The Good

• Extremely South London Éponine is the best thing in this series.  From the moment she steps into Marius’ room, their interactions are absolutely perfect.  Her crass attempt to offer herself to him and her delighted wonder when it fails, Marius’ appalled, half-paralyzed bewilderment at the whole situation and his awkward charity, Davies’ made-up slang for the écu, “You’re a star, are you sure!?”,  Éponine code-switching at the end and then grabbing the bread on her way out, even the noncanonical, nonconsensual kiss – the whole scene is spot-on from start to finish.

As is her reunion with the rest of the Thénardier clan.  The coarse sisterly banter and Azelma’s look of joy when Éponine hands her the stale bread, Thénardier’s petulant ranting, his violence towards Éponine and Mme. Thénardier’s weary indifference to it, his immediate attempt to crush Éponine into submission when she shows any sign of independence or self-worth – it all paints a vivid picture of Éponine’s world, and the juxtaposition to the scene with Marius makes it very clear that her infatuation with him is not about a crush on a boy but rather about getting the hell away from all this.  And I love that she grabbed her five francs back at the end.

• It’s interesting that the miniseries with the most graphically awful Toulon also has the most determinedly reclusive Valjean, and it’s consistent with his experience in Montreuil-sur-Mer as well.  In the novel Madeleine’s fall is precipitated by his carelessness towards his subordinates, first with regard to the consequences of his factory’s morality policy and then with regard to Javert’s feelings.  But that’s all pretty indirect, and Brick Valjean could reasonably feel that he was the victim of an arbitrary misfortune and that if he’d been a bit luckier everything would have worked out fine.  Westjean, on the other hand, was hunted from the moment Javert showed up in town and was personally responsible for Fantine’s downfall.  From his perspective, his attempt to participate in society must seem like a catastrophe.  He might well wonder whether it’s possible for someone in his position to do any good at all, given the debacle in Montreuil.  Both guilt and prudence suggest it might be better to just give up and become a hermit.

• Cosette’s little convent friends.  This miniseries has consistently gone out of its way to place the female leads in community with other women, and it’s nice to see.

• Rivette continues to be excellent even with a silly moustache.

• The Mabeuf + Marius timeline continues to be nonsensical, but I enjoyed their meet-cute and Marius was charmingly obtuse.  I also enjoyed Davies’ commitment to Georges Pontmercy/Mabeuf, which is the only explanation I can think of for why Mabeuf might keep a collection of old newspaper clippings about Georges in his attic.

• Gillenormand is still pitch-perfect.

• This episode was not Quinjolras’s finest hour, but he was extremely done with Marius’ shit, which though not particularly Brick-accurate is a quality I always appreciate in an Enjolras.  Giving him Combeferre’s “To be free” line was inspired.  I’m also impressed by his ability to adjust his rhetoric to match his audience – “Think of the poor veterans living in poverty!” is the way to win Marius to the side of revolution, if anything will.

• The juxtaposition of Javert’s lonely, cheerless bedtime routine and Valjean broodingly watching Cosette at the piano could have been filmed by a Valvert shipper (Look!  They’ll never be complete without each other!), which in a way I suppose it was.

• The police patrolling the Luxembourg Gardens while Cosette is looking around in raptures was a nice subtle touch.  This series plays up the Valjean vs. Cosette conflict more than I might like, but it does a very good job of showing you where they both are coming from.

• THE HANDKERCHIEF SCENE!

• I do appreciate Westjean’s ongoing commitment to self-branding.  Also the fact that they included the chisel scene makes the Coin of Shame a nice piece of foreshadowing.

The Meh

• I suppose it makes sense for a Cosette raised by Shouty Valjean to shout a lot herself.  This Valjean + Cosette pair actually articulate their needs and desires and communicate them to each other, instead of repressing everything and sinking into silent depression.

On the one hand, that’s healthy.  Good for them.  I know people are concerned about the tenor of their relationship, but frankly Westjean has done a better job than Brick Valjean of raising Cosette out of the unquestioning silence of her abuse.  They both adopted a kid who “had suffered so much that she feared everything – even to speak, even to breathe”.  Only Westjean has a kid who doesn’t exhibit the exact same trauma symptoms six years later.

On the other hand, who are these people?

• I do not appreciate Javert’s medal, but I very much appreciate Javert’s resentment of his medal while there’s still a Valjean on the loose.  If we’ve gotta go Bread Crimes let’s really commit to it.

• Sister Simplice is convinced the outside world has become more dangerous.  Sure, I guess?  1823-25 when they came into the convent was a relatively calm period, and there has just been a successful revolution.  Still, this seems like a good time for the show to mention that.

• “Wow,” I thought, “What a perfect choice for the Rue de l’Homme Armé!”  Oh wait, it’s the Rue Plumet which is still mostly orchards at this point.  That said, the garden is fantastic.

• Marius’ wet dream was actually okay.  After the Éponine Peep Show Incident I feared the worst, but there was nothing terribly wrong with it.  Marius had vaguely sexual thoughts about Cosette, his subconscious pulled a bait-and-switch and transformed her into Éponine, at which point he went “Nope nope nope DNW!” and awoke in a cold sweat.  This is not at all an unreasonable thing for Marius to dream, especially in an adaptation that’s dangling Éponine’s sexuality in front of him as aggressively as this one is.  The key theme of Marius/Éponine from Marius’ end, which is that he’s not attracted to her because he understands it’s immoral to fuck starving child prostitutes, comes through loud and clear.

• What a weird way to do the Chaîne scene.  I can see it happening: most Valjeans would never intentionally expose Cosette to a sight like this, but because Westjean is stuck with a Cosette who actually asserts her needs, he has to push back much harder than usual in order to maintain their secrecy.  He doesn’t show her the Chaîne to punish her or upset her – it’s clearly an ill-judged attempt to convince her The World Is Bad and win their argument from the day before, and perhaps also to start a conversation about his own past which will explain why he’s a paranoid recluse.  A bit manipulative perhaps, but that’s well within Valjean’s repertoire, and he’s thoroughly punished for it by the narrative since the whole scheme ends up backfiring horribly on him.  Cosette is not just appalled by this glimpse into the brutality of their society but repulsed by the convicts themselves, and the viewers get an explanation for why Valjean will be so adamant later that Cosette must never learn his true history.

I do think the Chaîne scene is important for explaining Valjean’s Cosette Issues so I’m always glad when an adaptation decides to include it, but on balance I think it works better when they stumble across it by accident.

• The attempted kidnapping at the Gorbeau tenement was fine.  Points for including the chisel and all the “neighbors” slipping into the room, minus points for Valjean punching everyone.  I’m not sure why Valjean thought paying off Thénardier would help anything, but then Valjean has never been the king of good decisions and this Valjean less than most.

The Bad

• I appreciate Valjean’s aspiration to spend the rest of his life hiding in a hole.  I do not appreciate the hard sell on Cosette taking the veil.  It just makes him seem selfish and inconsiderate of her needs, to a degree that he isn’t in the novel.  His “I thought we’d found a home here together where you could grow up and I could grow old, and you could grow old, and I could die, and you could die, and we’d be buried and we’d be together forever! :D :D :D” line is hilarious and adorable in the way it expresses the tragic limits of his aspirations, but I would sacrifice it in order to lose this scene.

• After holding down the fort on costumes and set design for two episodes, the Prefecture of Police sadly let us down this episode.  You guys were doing so well!  No uniforms, no illegal tricolors in 1823 like some adaptations we could mention *cough2012cough*, but now it’s 1832 and suddenly everyone is dressed like an officier de paix and Javert has a medal and they’ve still got the fleur-de-lys up.  Also that blah jacket of navy serge is not what the Prefect of Police’s uniform looked like in the 1830s, lmao.  I mean, for fuck’s sake, it’s fancier than that now.  That thing Chabouillet was wearing in the 1978 movie is also not remotely what the Prefect’s uniform looks like, but at least they bothered to slap some gold braid on it.

I will grudgingly accept the uniforms as a visual representation of the increasing professionalization of the police, Not!Gisquet’s Légion d’honneur is a reasonable reward for him apparently allowing the July Revolution to happen, and I do appreciate them swapping the portrait of Louis XVIII for Louis-Philippe inside, but there’s no excuse for Javert’s medal or the flag.

• Surely the entire purpose of casting Josh O'Connor as Marius is so Marius can be shy and stiff and awkward, and emphasize these qualities by having a face that consists primarily of nose and ears?  Otherwise you could cast someone who actually looks like Marius.

I know everyone shouts a lot in this and he probably needs to be able to shout back to keep up with Cosette, but from his very first words to Gillenormand he’s far too assertive and confrontational.  Part of the charm of Marius/Cosette is how isolated and naive they both are, and how these victims of childhood abuse are able to find in each other a safety they might not find in anyone else.  (Marius’ damage is obvious, and while Cosette’s is more subtle her tendency towards unquestioning acceptance would leave her incredibly vulnerable to the Tholomyèses of the world.)  This adaptation portrayed this kind of mutual refuge very well with Valjean/Fantine, of all things, so it’s weird they didn’t think to do it here.

Of course, Bambersette is healthier than Brick Cosette in some ways so maybe she doesn’t need it so much, but they still need to sell us on the pairing somehow.  Meet-cutes in the Luxembourg are all very well, but handkerchief sniffing can only get you so far.

• I see Fantine’s inability to put her hair up like a respectable woman is hereditary.

• If we have to see this much of the principal-tenant of the Gorbeau House I want to see some parrots, dammit.

• Éponine has a job and we have no reason to assume she’s bad at it, so I’m not going to say she wouldn’t do a sexy peephole dance for her new neighbor the law student.  At this point she knows nothing of Marius’ virtuous chastity; all she knows is that he’s young, male, richer than her, and she’s probably going to be forced to sleep with him for money at some point.  This scene could happen.

But we sure as fuck didn’t need to see it.  Stop sexualizing the starving child prostitute, Davies.  It’s disgusting.

• Speaking of things not to sexualize, why the hell does the dressmaker assume Valjean is Cosette’s sugar daddy and not her actual relative?  It made sense that everyone thought so last week because Valjean was being super shady.  It makes sense for Thénardier still to think so, because Thénardier is Thénardier.  It makes absolutely no sense for random strangers to assume it.  It’s the nineteenth century!  People die in childbirth!  There’s a cholera epidemic!  Teenage girls need their fathers to take them clothes shopping because all their female relatives are dead.  This is not such an unusual scenario that anyone would remark on it, or make highly offensive insinuations about a customer.  And why doesn’t Valjean just introduce himself to people as her father???

Mild, mild Valjean/Cosette is Brick canon and I don’t think we can justly criticize an adaption for including it, but every random passerby shouldn’t be remarking on it.

• On my first viewing of this episode, I assumed that its portrayal of the Amis as tiresome drunken louts could be explained by the fact that Andrew Davies simply didn’t like Enjolras, and probably not the other Amis or the June Rebellion very much either.  The superb barricade sequence in the subsequent episodes demolishes that theory.  Never has it been portrayed so well, and certainly not in any English language adaptation.  But that leaves me at an absolute loss to explain what Davies was doing here.  This is our first introduction to the Amis: they should be likable, so that we will like them.  They are not.

The irony is that it’s not particularly hard to prosecute a case against Enjolras, if you want to complicate his heroism a bit.  Enjolras is ridiculous and slightly insufferable!  Enjolras is a guy who thinks “Citizen, my mother is the Republic,” is a coherent and comforting response when his best friend musically drags your Napoleon eulogy.  I mean, just look at these twats in hats in the Théâtre de la Jeunesse adaptation.  They are highly mockable!  And on a more somber note, Enjolras led a revolutionary cell that misjudged the public mood so badly it got a hundred people killed to no useful purpose.

But Enjolras is not deliberately trying to orchestrate a battle to the death over France’s system of government.  Enjolras had the chance to battle to the death only two years ago, and he’s still here.  What Enjolras wants is to jump up on Lamarque’s casket and have all the National Guards and the troops of the line wave their muskets in the air and say “Yeah, fuck that pear-faced buffoon!  Down with the king!  Vive la république!”  That’s why his side have been quietly trying to propagandize and subvert every military unit in Paris for months, which Davies knows, because Enjolras mentions it himself in Episode 5!  If the monarchy could be overthrown without any bloodshed at all, that would be ideal.

And Enjolras has too much dignity to throw food at anyone, even Grantaire.  If we must take a swipe at Enjolras through the medium of food fights, Courfeyrac should throw food at Grantaire and Enjolras should give him a pious lecture about wasting food when so many are starving.  That wouldn’t be in character either, but it’s at least within shooting distance of proper characterization and it highlights annoying qualities the characters actually have.

• Speaking of annoying qualities characters don’t have, when Courfeyrac is coming off as sleazier than Tholomyès you are doing it wrong.  Courfeyrac knows girls you don’t have to pay, beyond the usual ‘showing them a good time’ expenses.  He does not have to take his dorky virgin friend to a brothel to get him laid!

• Grantaire is a drunk, but he’s a grandiloquent drunk.  That is... his entire characterization.  How could anyone get this wrong?

• That fucking brothel scene.  WHY.

If you must do a Sexual Awakening of Marius plotline, and evidently Andrew Davies must, I think the correct sequence is this: Courfeyrac and Grantaire take him out beyond the barrières and try to set him up with cute girls.  Marius is having none of it, of course; he’s too shy and awkward, girls are scary, he doesn’t want a fling.  Then he sees Cosette in the park and he’s smitten.

A visit to a brothel Courfeyrac is too classy ever to patronize is not in the cards.  The sole redeeming feature of this scene was the fact that Enjolras declined to attend.

This episode was a return to form, and by form I mean the Thénardiers were fantastic and everything else was incredibly fucking uneven.  While I can’t say that this Gavroche will make fun of Enjolras’ rubbish beard, I can say this Gavroche would make fun of Enjoras’ rubbish beard, and that’s what really counts.

[eglantinian]

Missive Mishaps - Ch. 02, In Which Libérté Means, “I Love You, Most Ardently” 

Conclusion of Missive MIshaps (Part 1: tumblr | ao3) for @decembersiris. 

We finally know what Éponine wrote! (And what the amis thought, upon its revelation!) 

Read part 2 in ao3 or continue under the cut! 

Joly,

Perchance you heard a word or two of Enjolras?  Or of Éponine? Bahorel thought he has perhaps gone cinglé, and Combeferre has completely busied himself with his patients, and therefore, is best left unperturbed. Any report would ease the matron of their household.

Perplexed,

Feuilly

—

Feuilly,

Rest your worries, dear ami. According to Courfeyrac —  or was it Grantaire who recounted the tale? I am unsure, for it was in the merry hours of Mr. and Mrs. Pontmercy’s wedding anniversary a fortnight ago that the account was given, and oh, it might have been Bossuet who gave a fortunate spin on it? — one evening, they were promenading across the bridge of the Seine, deep in discussion, and there Gavroche — who was out with his momes but hush about it and do not tell his sisters — soon found them in quite a severe, and haha, amorous embrace!

Yes, you are right to read that with dubious cheer!

Divinely appeased,

Jolllly

P. S. Prouvaire, I believe, has a fuller account on this, as he previously made an account to Bahorel, who made an account to you, who undoubtedly received it from Combeferre, who received the concern from the Mme. Enjolras, who may now retire with ease and fret over nuptials, which Prouvaire, in full circle, believes that we shall see a month from now. I wager a a year to pass for engagement, before seeing matters settled, but even my dearest Musichetta, mocked my reasons and ejaculated, “You think they carry enough patience for that? Ha!” I am most embarrassed.

—

Prouvaire,

Word has now fully come around the Latin Quartier of Enjolras and Éponine, but for purposes of making a full account, could you, perhaps, persuade the two to write to Mme. Enjolras and retire the matter?

Exhausted, quite,

Feuilly

P.S. Joly remarked that you sensed that they will wed soon, and keep this to yourself, but I readily agree. Careful as Joly is, to err is understandable, but when it comes to impassioned characters the likes of these two, to wait is to die. As we all know now, it is much better to live.

—

Feuilly,

Ah, not to fret, for I shall not only persuade them to come clear with the Mme. Enjolras (in this I shall, with my dearest Azelma, sup with them to conjecture this), I shall also provide you a complete account of what has transpired!  

You see, dear ami, it began the 29th of January when Enjolras, as Combeferre stated, “finally metamorphosed his feelings into actions for her” by way of a missive. Understandably, Éponine withheld a reply at first, resulting in Courfeyrac’s fears that Enjolras might become a “ninny” for penning letters back and forth with Combeferre of conjectures on what may have caused the delay — unknowing that the delay comes in the person of Gavroche, who recounted all this at the Musain and was taking a respite after an afternoon of running hitherto and thereto with much laughter.  

It was an accident to have this sweet music fall near my ears, but once heard, I could not help but make merry and form wagers with Courfeyrac on what could have Éponine finally replied — yes, the letter was finally with Gavroche during his respite that time, on the fateful day of the 7th of February, and yes, I appear circling and circling around this matter, but you cannot imagine the ridiculous notions that Courfeyrac dared what Éponine would have said (or done)!  

Courfeyrac thought she would have cast the letter in flames, knocked on the door of Enjolras at No. 10 Rue de La Jean-Jacques Rousseau, and demanded a recantation, before locking him in an amorous, passionate embrace!  

(Gavroche agreed and raised his glass, clinking it together with the fool.)  

I merely laughed, and answered with faint certainty that Éponine would not have left such a thing unanswered as: 1) I pointed out that Éponine did form a reply, so such a notion would have been absurdly misrepresentative of their characters; 2) they are equal in most manners, so if anything would be in flames, it would be the nature of the missives written by these two proud, but frank individuals; and 3) yes, a nuptial would soon be had (many thanks, as well, for your acquiescence)!  

Our argument rising to a din, which caused Mme Hucheloup to threaten us to be quiet or else be forcibly ushered to the door of the Musain, we quieted, hastily read Éponine’s letter, and shouted — resulting, indeed, in us being forcibly ushered to the door of the Musain — in exultation for what was written, and thus, ushered, we bid Gavroche run to Enjolras, and finally provide us one of the greatest symphonies of our circle.  

What a letter it was, I tell you!  

Excited,  

Jehan Prouvaire

P.S. I enclosed here another page to provide you an excellent imitation of the letter that I committed to memory for it was certainly fervent a letter!

—

DATE: 07 FEBRUARY 1834

TO: ENJOLRAS

      NO. 10, RUE DE LA JEAN-JACQUES ROUSSEAU

FROM: ÉPONINE THÉNARDIER

           NO. 32, RUE DE LA GRAND TRUANDERIE

Dear Enjolras,

When first I received your letter,  I was impassioned to believe it false and unexpected of your character. But I held it to my heart, upon reading the missive from dawn until noon, from noon until midnight, from midnight until dawn. I ascertained that the fine cursive was not furtive, but determined, and that the paper was heavily imprinted upon, as you are wont to do during the days of revolution and more so, after the war when driven. I do not ask forgiveness for my scepticism, nor do I expect it from you, for I understand that we are of the same mind that misunderstandings in this form harbour no ill will. Thus, I believe you, and share your concern that I would have at first found it disconcerting.

Now my reply, tardy as it was, and for which I will ask forgiveness for, came to be for I could not first form a sufficient one to yours. But as you said, discourse is a fine instrument to meet one’s soul, mind, body, and heart with another.

Indeed, I agree, and share the sincerity of your passion. And I will not delay it, for it cannot be denied —

I do not love you alone in words.  

A reprise, usually unhappy, with you will not be found melancholy. A rapture most divine, you would have figured, has belonged in my heart for you, and you cannot imagine my deepest joy to find it returned, without my asking, without any condition, without any fault. For — yes, I can now freely admit — that I cherish you wholeheartedly.

That through you, I hope, in spite of fear.

That through you, I resolve, in spite of regret.

That through you, I love, and am loved in return, in spite of everything.

That this story, previously filled with travesty, can be one that fights for a tomorrow — a tomorrow that comes no longer with misery.

I do not love you alone in words.

I do not love you alone in fear.

But I love you with fullest hope and surest actions.

Courage, and onward,

Éponine

[moviestorian]

Les Mis BBC final thoughts

Alright, on monday I finished the 6th and last episode of the most recent, mini-series adaptation of Les Misérables. I was slightly hesitant about posting my thoughts (mostly because of the tag being largely dominated by negativity; any effort to post anything else seemed kind of pointless to me), but I eventually decided to go for it. I still wanted the entire show to sit in for a while (I also want to do a rewatch, because I can't guarantee that my feelings remain the same; I might just as well change my opinions completely). But let's begin!

Tldr; Also, unpopular opinion alert: I actually enjoyed it. A lot. I genuinely liked the miniseries. Yes, there were some choices and things I wasn't exactly fond of, but I have the same thing about literally every single adaptation I have seen so far (mostly thinking of the stage musical and 2012 film). Cause you know, you can like something and still see its flaws, and the other way round - you can dislike it and yet admit it is not inherently bad.

Now, the longer "review" comes in. It's gonna be reaaaally long. Also: spoilers.

The negatives/things I'm indifferent about/what could have been better:

- I'm following the popular trend of disliking that font. I care a lot about cinematography and visual parts of films and shows, so I wasn't satisfied with this particular choice. They could do better, honestly.

- For most of the time, the music was a bit meh. Nothing really striking or to hate, but compared to the War&Peace 2016 soundtrack (which was amazing!), this one was very undermining. There were some individual songs I liked a lot, though.

- The overall cinematography was ok. Again, nothing super special, but there were some pretty nice shots, too. I had some minor objections about cgi in a few scenes, but let's that the 2012 film wasn't exactly flawless in this aspect, too... If not worse.

- Ok, confession time & another unpopular opinion alert: I genuinely think the script is not half as bad as some people on this site try to tell everyone and the majority of their issues is either exaggerated to an enormous extent or comes from a huge prejudice. Or a general but pretty clear misinterpretation of certain scenes. Having said that, I had issues with the script, too. Davies did a waaay better job with his W&P, really. Although I actually like some of his changes or narrative choices, there is one thing I can't exactly ignore: how certain scenes were pure exposition. I think it got better in the later episodes, but I spotted at least two(!) examples just in episode one alone. Davies, being the experienced author as he is, should really know that it's not a good way to write scenes, especially in the first episode (which is supposed to encourage the viewers to keep watching). There's nothing more annoying to me than being treated, as a viewer, as a person who needs a straight-in-your-face explaination of what’s happening on screen.

- Another fairly popular trend: the brothel & the wet dream sequences. Even though I expected both of these to be A LOT worse, given what the fandom was saying (exaggerating again), and I don't think they are "out of character" or unrealistic in terms of the setting, I tried to cut these out from the episode (in my head ofc). And I think we could do without them; the brothel scene could remain in the final cut, but I would make it way shorter.

- What I REALLY disliked: a minor thing, but it bugged me a lot. I mean the main dialogue being in English, and the background dialogue in French. Christ, how I hate when they do such stuff in the movies...(thankfully the main characters didn't try to pull off their fake French accent, that would be even worse) Either you do it in French, or in English. One has to be consistent.

- The pissing scene in ep1 was...weird.

- Valjean being mean to Gavroche.

- The timeline was sometimes a bit odd, if not crazy, but could’ve been way worse (nothing can surpass P0ldark and its weirdly ageing children and even more weirdly, or not at all ageing adults)

- Valjean firing Fantine left me with very mixed feelings. On the one hand, I think it makes sense narratively, in this particular adaptation, it’s also not the first one who makes Valjean responsible for Fantine’s misery (to a smaller or bigger extent). On the other one, it’s not a choice I’m super happy about so...

Now, let's move on to the positives!

- Excellent choice in casting. I think all of the actors did a solid job. Obviously they had some veteran, experienced or acclaimed actors like Bradley, Sumpter, Jacobi, Colman, West... You couldn't expect any less from them. BUT there were also some younger and fresh faces, who's interpretations of their characters I really loved - Lily Collins, Erin Kellyman, Reece Yates, Josh O'Connor. Liked Joseph Quinn and Ellie Bamber a lot, too, especially the former. Obviously, I cannot NOT mention David Oyelowo! He was particularly impressive in the last episode.

- You have no idea how grateful I am for the entire Pontmercy storyline, honestly. I have so many feelings about Georges Pontmercy it's not even funny. Also baby Marius!!! Huge props for the Marius/Guillenormand dynamics.

- Fantine's storyline. I love the focus on her in this adaptation, and instead of merely showing her "downfall", we got to see her entire background story and many faces of her character. From naivety and joyful innocent to her determination to survive, and, finally, her desperate attempts to feed her daughter. I love that we got to see a glimpse of her relationship with Cosette. I love that, heartbreaking as that scene was, we got to see the moment of her leaving her child with the Thénardiers. Loved that she was also outspoken at times. I really felt for her in this series. Naturally, I always do have tons of empathy for Fantine, she's one of my favourite characters in general, but I found Lily Collins' version to be particularly relatable.

- Btw: I disagree that Fantine and Cosette were overly "sexualized" or fetishized. And don't even get me started on the supposed "sexual undertones" between Cosette and Valjean, cause this is utter bullshit.

- I actually liked the relationship between Cosette and her Papa, especially when she was little!

- I loved Gavroche in this adaptation. I'm usually not a huge fan of his, but Reece was so charming and impossible to resist!

- All the side characters (good or bad) we finally got to see at least for a while! I already mentioned the Pontmercies, but I also mean: Petit Gervais, Tholomyès and his gang (+Favourite and Zephine), Azelma, Gavroche's little brothers, Mabeuf, even Victurnien. And Sister Simplice, I love that woman. And Rivette. 😁

- Huge thumbs up for portraying the Thénardiers as the evil/malicious people they were (but not one-dimensional, esp. Madame Th.) instead of as some comic relief only.

- Contrary to the popular opinion, I count Les Amis as the positives. I actually think that narrowing down the number of the students to focus on was a good choice (like, excuse me, but giving a few lines to a character in an ensemble song is not enough to give them personality. Even in the book some hardly had one). And guess what? I legit cared more about this Enjolras or this Courfeyrac than in other adaptations. I liked Quinn's version of Enjolras more than I like Hugo's original character. This is obviously a personal preference, but to me personally Quinn's slightly toned down version, sort of a hybrid of Enjolras and Combeferre was way more appealing (I also think Quinn had more innocence and wide-eyedness in his eyes and face than some most popular actors who have played the role. To me, the accurate hair colour is the least sygnificant thing, honestly. Especially that some of the fans' favourites hardly fit the book description in that aspect).

- The Enjolras/Grantaire execution scene.

- Small interactions between Enjolras and Courfeyrac. Especially the ones in the final moments of the resistance. Oh my...

- Overall, the barricade scenes were very good.

- I liked Marius a lot, which is quite a thing! I loved that we got the awkward, but still adorable side of his. I had seen Josh in The Riot Club and I remember him being good but not memorable; I was impressed with his performance in Les Mis, he was so different!

- Erin's Éponine broke my heart. Especially in episode 5, she was fantastic. So many expressions in her eyes; I loved her fidgety hand moves, too!

- I appreciate that they started the show with something other than the galleys/bishop Myriel. That was a nice and quite refreshing take.

What else do I like about this adaptation? That it revived my passion for Les Mis; that it made me want to reread the book (or certain chapters at least), rewatch the 2012 film, listen to songs from the musical, check out other adaptations. That it’s gonna bring new people to the fandom. And, whether you like it or not, it DOES offer new interpretations of the characters and actually does give a fresh take. Every adaptations gives us something new to discuss, this one included. I also don’t believe it’s the worst thing that ever happened to Les Mis or whatever; I happen to think it actually is a good adaptation overall. Is it flawless or 100% accurate in everything? No, because it’s impossible to turn such a huge and detailed book into a 100% faithful adaptation; also it’s really not what the adaptations are for. I too would have added/cut out some stuff from various versions of Les Mis, but this is because it’s my interpretation; the fact that we imagine some things differently does not mean that other people’s interpretations are bad.

Since films and tv shows belong to the visual media, I think that Les Mis BBC could have done better in that aspect - I wasn’t exactly satisfied with it, as I wasn’t exactly over the moon about some choices in the script. It’s not a masterpiece, but I never expected it to be one; neither it is a “piece of shit”. Despite its flaws, I still found the miniseries to be very enjoyable and I will gladly rewatch it in the near future. I feel that it might even become one of my favourite adaptations(I will decide once I’ve seen them all, or most of them!), save for the interpretation of JVJ, which could’ve been better tbh. For me, it’s a nice 7,5/10

[somptueusesignora-blog]

 GETTING  TO  KNOW  THE  MUN :

NAME :    Marie NICKNAME :    empress rierie sparklepuff the third, munrie FACECLAIM :    lovelace and babbage from the excellent comic series by Sydney Padua that you should all be reading PRONOUNS :    she  /  her HEIGHT :    5 ' 6″ nerds i tol BIRTHDAY :    July 30th AESTHETIC :    taxidermy, hideous jewel tones, woolen fingerless gloves, lady’s pocket knives, low class aristocrat, high class ruffian .   LAST  SONG  YOU  LISTENED  TO :   Fighting Trousers by Prof Elemental  FAVORITE  MUSE (S)  YOU’VE  WRITTEN :    -screams while holding my 100+ muses close to my chest- DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE YOU MONSTER.

GETTING  TO  KNOW  THE  ACCOUNT :

WHAT  INSPIRED  YOU  TO  TAKE  ON  THIS  MUSE :   Phantom was kinda my first fandom back in the day (if you don’t count HP which frankly I don’t). Embarrassingly, my first muse was a self-insert to poto (I was 13 give me a break) which I’m not going to go into for fear of cringing so hard I create a black hole. After I gave her up in ’10, I moved onto others. I finally set up my Thénardier blog this last summer, and some nerds (love you all kiss kiss) convinced me that I needed not two but three musical comic relief characters. I hope to have collected them all by the time I die, pokemon style. Next up is prolly the sowerberries 8). I do love lolo though – I love basically everyone in phantom. She’s so confident, sassy, and she’s an absolute joy to write.

WHAT  ARE  YOUR  FAVORITE  ASPECTS  OF  YOUR  CURRENT  MUSE :   Okay this is totally self-indulgent, but one of my favorite things to describe are descriptions of clothing. It always has been – I’ve found scraps of fanfiction and short stories from when I was twelve where whole paragraphs are badly devoted to it. And Carlotta is one of the best for that entirely selfish hobby. She’s a la mode in my absolute favorite period of fashion history – bustles and trussles and bows and ties and HATSSSSSSS OH MY GOD THE HATSSSSSSSSSSSSSS.

                 Ahem.                 

                              I’m also fond of characters whose favorite past time involves sass-offs. Whether it’s with her S.O., Erik, the managers, or herself in the mirror, there’s something about writing sass for sass’s sake that makes me smile. I frequently write for this blog during my joke of a finance class (shhhhh), and occasionally my friend will come up to me and go “Why were you smiling? What the hell were you writing during class today?”

WHAT’S  YOUR  BIGGEST  INSPIRATION  WHEN  IT  COMES  TO  WRITING :   For Carlotta, I actually draw a lot of influence from H.G. Wells and Jules Verne in writing style. I love Leroux’s novel, but I love his contemporaries more. The novella style from the late 1800s is great for writing her, because of snappy dialogue and the way descriptions flowed without being too weighty like they were in the earlier half of the century. 

FAVORITE  TYPES  OF  THREADS :   I like comedy threads a lot, but I’m also fond of the big angst/fluff dilemma. My favorite threads on here tend to be slice-of-life, actually. She’s so normal in a way that my others aren’t, but with just a hint of stage glamor. It makes me very happy and more importantly, very invested. 

BIGGEST  STRUGGLE  IN  REGARDS  TO  YOUR  CURRENT  MUSE :             Being just the right about of mean. In many ways, it’s only applicable to her work, but she has a temper. Though she’s better at controlling it than others I could mention (sideyes my raccie blog) it’s still very present, and it’s difficult sometimes to tell exactly what would and should set it off.

TAGGED BY :  @deathreflected the sweetheart~

TAGGING :  @tenoreteneri @margueritestjust @bonhcmme @bountyman and whoever wants to do the thing!

[chandrahallstrom-blog]

Handle Your Mama With A Kind Affection Along with These Outstanding Mothers Day Present Suggestions

After years of focusing on wedding ceremonies, there is actually one character that I have concerned empathy: the mom of the groom. My major rate of interest is the early worldwide religion of the Terrific Mommy, which I strongly believe has been preserved in the Tao-Te-Ching, the Hindu persuasion Tantra, the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament as well as now this appears in Freemasonry. He was in fact the child from a tribal principal as well as he was actually inquired someday, Exactly how did you learn how to be actually a fantastic forerunner?" And he answered that he would go with his papa to tribe appointments as well as he always remembers pair of factors when his father will meet other elders. All of these different factors from the human sense have been such a wonderful creativity and an advantage for me to have actually watched therefore this was along with excellent unhappiness that the headlines came from Jacket that my attractive mama had been diagnosed with incurable Cancer cells. These three smaller lights flighted away and the staying authentic UFO slanted and piloted into the lake for reasons most effectively understood apart, it soon re-emerged as well as began flying trustworthy to Janet and Michael who can now construct out a clear dome on top inside which were actually 2 tiny humanoid formed critters with lengthy necks, large eyes and sizable scalps. Our thorough campaign for Mommy's Day, which was referred to as Pamper Her along with Pretty, was created to develop awareness from our brand, deepen our relationship with our visitor and also give a system to create Ulta Appeal a top of mind destination for gift providing specifically in Fragrance. The 41-year-old Covering also severely injured or hurt the kid's mama just before cops fired him at the property, where he died from his wounds, internet journal Concentration Online mentioned, incorporating that the boy's brother, grow older 6, was actually being actually dealt with for shock after the assault. Listed below are actually the 5 top reasons audience members, shop attendees as well as training clients have given over the years, in efforts to validate not giving forgiveness and the reasons why today instant is the amount of time to start. Your center can not aid yet crack for Fantine when the singular mom can no longer manage to maintain her little girl, and she is obliged to transform little bit of Cosette over to the harsh custody (or even more appropriately, kid enslavement) of the innkeepers, the Thénardiers.

Technically, the Mom Road pertains to an end at the crossway of Lincoln and Olympic blvds, but lots of drivers will definitely move a couple of blocks back to the Santa Monica Pier, which gives a terribly very ultimate photograph to accomplish the album. Our company have made a decision to allow our child go," his mommy Connie Yates informed Greater london's High Court, where a court had actually been because of listen to last arguments regarding why a healthcare facility ought to certainly not switch off life help.

For the Luftwaffe, the hazard from being actually shot down was actually now so fantastic that the busts were actually normally restricted to broadband Highly recommended Reading hit-and-run attacks utilizing mostly competitor airplanes outfitted for make use of as makeshift bombers.

[bbclesmis]

Les Misérables, Episode 4, review: Andrew Davies triumphantly illustrates all society’s shades of good and evil

The complex plot and elemental themes of Victor Hugo's classic novel were handled adroitly as Cosette and Marius took centre stage

The fourth episode seems like a good time for a half-term report on Andrew Davies’ adaptation of Les Misérables. I’d give it an A-plus at least. And I hope the social media complainers so disappointed by the first episode have stuck with it despite the absence of all those lovely tunes.

He’s keeping the narrative of a very intricate and wide-ranging novel ticking along nicely, while never neglecting the complex moral dilemmas at its core. And keeping a sense of a specific place and time (Paris, in the years after Waterloo, equal parts elegance and squalor, with every shade of political opinion loudly declaimed in the taverns) while being alert to the elemental issues – the multiple shades of good and evil and how they interact; the influence of character, background and pure chance on an individual’s life – central to Victor Hugo’s classic tale.

The story moved forward a generation this week, with Cosette (Ellie Bamber) now a young woman keen to experience life outside the convent, despite the misgivings of Valjean (Dominic West). Their relationship – loving but unnatural, fragile and continually regarded with suspicion – was at the heart of the episode as he tried to shield her from the world while keeping his vow to do good within it.

Grim realities

His decision to brutally expose her to the realities of Parisian life – which gave director Tom Shankland the chance for a stunning tableau of a city teeming with beggars, pickpockets, courtesans and general grubby 19th-century nastiness – backfired as his “tough love” approach produced the first fissures in their relationship.

But his fears seemed justified, as her new-found freedom brought her into the orbit of Pontmercy’s handsome but headstrong son Marius (Josh O’Connor), estranged from his royalist grandpère after discovering the truth about his war hero father and living the garret-and-tavern life with his fellow law students. Their touching, hesitant courtship through dropped tokens in the Luxembourg Gardens was vividly contrasted with the schemings of Marius’ new neighbours – the villainous Thénardier clan, whom attentive viewers will remember have an even stronger connection with the Pontmercys. And ever-present in the background was, of course, the ascetic, obsessional Inspector Javert (a superbly grim David Oyelowo), still determined to prove Valjean a wrong ‘un at heart.

Complex plot

Davies continued to adroitly handle this complex plot – Victor Hugo’s novel could give Dickens a run for his money in the “unlikely coincidences” stakes. But his theme of all society being interlinked, and displaying every shade of good and evil throughout, was illustrated triumphantly.

Shankland handled the moments of intimate human drama superbly, but also made a climactic knife-fight in a garret as pulse-racing as a Bond set-piece. And the performances were excellent as always, Bamber and O’Connor holding their own nicely in distinguished company  – my only complaint would be that Adeel Akhtar as Papa Thénardier sometimes seemed to be channelling Fagin in an amateur production of Oliver! a little too freely. But overall, top marks. And a whiff of revolution in the air looks likely to engineer a gripping climax…

(x)

[eugenia90y8879-blog]

Shirley Holy place Black, Child Superstar That Came to be Ambassador, Dies At 85.

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[cometomecosette]

US 3rd National Tour, Los Angeles, February 7, 2000: Part 8 (“A Heart Full of Love,” “Attack on Rue Plumet” and “One Day More”)

Tim Howar as Marius, Regan Thiel as Cosette, Sutton Foster as Éponine, J.P. Dougherty as Thénardier, Ivan Rutherford as Jean Valjean, Kevin Earley as Enjolras, Stephen Bishop as Javert, Aymee Garcia as Mme. Thénardier

I remember from the reviews I read as a middle schooler that Tim and Regan’s Marius and Cosette were a much-beloved pairing. Not least because they were dating in real life, although it didn’t last long after they left the show. (Tim’s eventual first wife was another beloved Les Mis alumna – Ruthie Henshall.) At any rate, they offer a lovely rendition of their romantic duet: gentle, earnest, full of sweet disbelief and subtle rapture, and beautifully sung.

Sutton’s Éponine is touching in her quiet heartache,then beautifully fierce and powerful as she defends the Rue Plumet house from her father and the gang. I love the way she leaps onto Thénardier’s back to stop him from reaching the gate, and her raw, screechy scream is an epic moment.

It’s nice to see Éponine’s subsequently-cut exchange with Montparnasse. It’s certainly a good character moment for this Montparnasse (Matt Clemens, I think), who seemingly considers it perfectly normal to grope Éponine with his knife to her throat while talking about a completely different subject.

J.P. does an excellent job of shedding the amiable facade of his earlier scenes and showing us Thénardier’s ruthlessness. At first he plays the affectionate father he always has on “Éponine, get on home...” but when Éponine rebels, he shows his true colors as he yanks her away from the gate by her belt and snarls “Don’t interfere!” and then in the horrifying moment when he slaps her to the ground.

Kudos to Ivan for how panicked he sounds on “My God, Cosette! I heard a cry in the dark!” That’s the true voice of a father who thinks his child is in danger!

Unless I’m mistaken, Brujon is Randal Keith – my first Valjean a year after this performance. I think he’s also the unnamed student who carries Gavroche on his shoulder in “One Day More” (let’s say it’s Bahorel, though he wouldn’t have been credited as such).

“One Day More” is exhilarating, just as it should be.